Mullen: Kandahar Is Key to Curbing Rise of Taliban

The Pentagon's top military officer says wresting control of the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan is a key to stopping the Taliban's growing influence.

Kandahar remains the spiritual heartland of the insurgency and a stubborn holdout in NATO's efforts to help boost the Afghan government's control of the nation. The NATO force has been gearing up for months for a major military push there.

Adm. Mike Mullen said at a news conference Wednesday in the Afghan capital that Kandahar is a "cornerstone in reversing the momentum" of the Taliban.

He says seizing control of Kandahar would help to put the Afghan government in a position of strength to pursue reconciliation talks with insurgents.